Business Analyst

Education

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field 
• A minimum of five years’ experience working as a business analyst at an organization where IT was the main product/service 

Certifications

• AAP Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC): Ensuring foundational knowledge in accessibility principles. 
• IAAP Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS): For projects with a significant web component, ensuring expertise in web accessibility. 
• Certified Usability Analyst (CUA) or equivalent: For general usability and accessibility knowledge. 

General Experience: 

Skills Required: 

• Demonstrated prior experience successfully eliciting and documenting business processes 
• Demonstrated prior experience analyzing business processes and recommending improvements 
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with experience preparing presentations for executives and other senior stakeholders 
• Strong skills in preparing meaningful and easily understood process diagrams using standard diagramming software such as Microsoft Visio 
• Basic project management skills and experience preferred 
• Familiarity with Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite) collaborative productivity tools preferred  

Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Provides technical direction for product owners and personnel performing software development tasks, including the review of work products for correctness, adherence to the design concept and to user standards and for progress in accordance with schedules.
• Must be able to coordinate with the Program/Project Manager to ensure problem solutions and user satisfaction. 
• Make recommendations, if needed, for approval of major process and installation design changes.
• Prepares milestone status reports and deliveries/presentations on the system concept to colleagues, subordinates, and end user representatives.

Recurring activities: 

• Daily collaboration with OSCNP, the Technical PM, and the O&M Vendor to groom backlogs, define epics, provide supporting document, and improve business processes at the Department to improve staff efficiency and effectiveness, improve compliance and reporting, and to provide a better experience for the OSCNP’s customers. 
• Attend daily program standup, sprint review, program increment, and other meetings as defined by the Team Meeting Plan. 
• Provide routine progress reporting of the BA’s work through the delivery of weekly status reports 
• Provide a Weekly Summary Report identifying the previous week’s accomplishments and upcoming weeks planned activities. 
• Analyze and identify gaps in Data Reporting and Business Intelligence tools 
• The Resource will support the data reporting needs OSCNP. This will encompass: 1) Identifying and documenting the reporting needs of the programs, 2) Determining how to modify the existing systems so that the systems can support the data elements required for the reports, 3) Creating dashboards 
• Documenting the reports including the process to access and run them 
• Resource shall develop user stories that drive requirements for the O&M vendor and future development efforts. These user stories will be the basis of requirements for enhancements and feature additions to the systems, and the Resource will work with the Technical Project Manager to develop work order packages for the development teams, specifically aiding OSCNP to: 1) Comprehend basic to complex business issues translating business needs into, 2) Create new requirements to be used in work orders to be assigned to the O&M Contractor, 3) Prioritize work orders in the project backlog, 4) Identify risk and assumptions, 5) Develop acceptance test processes 
• The Resource shall also engage in: 1) Automating program compliance processes, 2) Creating an automated process to update the databases supporting OSCNP IT systems, 3) Improving business intelligence of the programs tracked by OSCNP IT systems through active dashboards, enhanced reporting capabilities and data management 
• Resource shall, in cooperation with other MSDE Business Analysts, IT Project Managers and other MSDE staff, facilitate the IT Project Review process. 
• Resource shall, as needed, develop project feasibility and cost benefit analysis reports to assist the IT Steering Committee in determining whether a project should proceed. 
• Resource shall work with the assigned Project Manager to transition a project, once approved, from concept request through preliminary planning to become a chartered project. This includes identifying the benefits of a project, potential project team members, project deliverables, and project performance metrics. The initial phase will require the resource to verify and document the “as-is” state of the program. At the conclusion of the initial will include creating a set of “as-is” documents that outline the existing business processes for OSCNP IT systems., This work encompasses: 1) reviewing/updating any existing program documentation 2) reviewing/updating any existing system documentation 
• The resource shall participate in project teams for new and existing systems. Participation can include but is not limited to the following: 1) Be familiar with and communicate information on the requirements development and management process to the project team. 2) Assist Project Managers and business owners with requirement identification and scope definition. 3) Comprehend basic to complex business and financial issues translating business needs into understandable requirements. 4) Facilitate requirements elicitation session(s) with stakeholders. 5) Review and document existing (as-is) business processes. 6) Develop and document future (to-be) business processes. 7) Differentiate between modeling techniques to determine which is appropriate for a project (e.g., use cases, workflow, swim lanes, context diagrams). 8) Develop and maintain or assist in the development and maintenance of project documentation such as a Functional Requirements Document (FRD). 9) Conduct a quality review walkthrough of business requirements documentation. 10) Participate in the planning and execution of system testing including development of test plans, test cases, and requirements traceability matrices. 11) Participate in the planning and development of system documentation and training materials. 12) Participate in training sessions. 13) Develop artifacts in compliance with the State SDLC 
• The resource shall operate as a spokesperson for the OSCNP during interactions with other state agencies to determine appropriate computer-related solutions to business problems. This can include but is not limited to: 1) Examine a business activity to help decide whether new operational and technology solutions will improve productivity. 2) Discuss existing business models and the workflows in the business with those involved. 3) Write, review and edit specifications, RFPs, business processes and provide recommendations related to the proposed solution. 4) Understand the role of the system in the organizational business area’s overall business process and provide ideas and recommendations regarding the evolution of the system and any project interdependencies to consider. 5) Using a variety of technical and presentation tools, produce high level outline designs of new business solutions, and perform a cost benefit analysis and/or a buy/build/reuse analysis. 
• Accessibility Standards Compliance: The contractor must ensure that all deliverables comply with the following accessibility standards: 
•  i.Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA: Ensure all web content and digital resources meet the criteria outlined in WCAG 2.1 Level AA. 
•  ii.Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act: Compliance with Section 508 to ensure accessibility of electronic and information technology for individuals with disabilities. 
•  iii.Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Adherence to ADA standards, particularly Titles II and III, for accessible web design and information dissemination. 

Additional Tasks 

• Resource assigned to work on-site at an MSDE facility 
• Resource shall enter information shared document folders 
• Enter stories and supported information into DEVOP tools tracking backlogs 
• Resource shall submit weekly status reports as directed by the Manager. 
• Resource shall be responsible for proactively identifying and performing knowledge transfer activities such as background and status update meetings, background and status update emails, or job shadowing occurring on the reassignment of a project resource from one task/project to another, whether a permanent or temporary transfer. 
• Resource shall attend Project meeting, including daily standup meetings 
• Resource shall assist in performing Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) software and/or hardware evaluations. 
• Resource shall recommend prioritization work orders in the project backlog 
• Resource shall Identify risk, document assumptions, and provide opinions on mitigation to management 
• Resource shall develop acceptance test processes 
• Resource shall assist in research efforts supporting business analysis as needed. 
• Resource shall perform other duties as assigned including documentation as directed by Agency.